The Nabataeans greatest accomplishment was probably their system
of water management. They developed a system to collect rainwater
using water channels, pipes, and underground cisterns. Added to
this, they developed very strong, waterproof
cement, some of which is still in existence to this day.

They also developed sophisticated ceramic
pipelines and reservoirs using gravity feeds (siphons or inverted
siphons), that served the developing urban centers. Outside of
the cities, dams closed off wadis to collect water during the
rainy season, while stone circles or terraces retarded runoff
from slopes and trapped valuable topsoil so that their irrigation
lines could feed crops.

The Nabataeans were experts at collecting water and storing
it in underground cisterns. All along their caravan routes, secret
water collection systems collected water and stored it for later
use. The ancient historian Diodorus
noted: "For in the waterless region, as it is called,
they have dug wells at convenient intervals and have kept the
knowledge of them from people of all other nations, and so they
retreat in a body into this region out of danger. For since they
themselves know about the places of hidden water and open them
up, they have for their use drinking water in abundance."
(II.48.2)

Diodorus also noted in another place: "They take refuge
in the desert using this as a fortress; for it lacks water and
cannot be crossed by others, but to them alone, since they have
prepared subterranean reservoirs lined with stucco, it furnishes
safety. As the earth in some places is clayey and in others is
of soft stone, they make great excavations in it, the mouths of
which they make very small, but by constantly increasing the width
as they dig deeper, they finally make them of such size that each
side has a length of about 100 feet. After filling these reservoirs
with rain water, they close the openings, making them even with
the rest of the ground, and they leave signs that are known to
themselves but are unrecognizable to others. They water their
flocks every other day, so that, if they flee, or wander through
waterless places, they may not need a continuous supply of water."
(XIX.94.6-9)

The Nabataeans perfected the art of creating a perfect cube
cistern, with corners that formed perfect right angles. They sometimes
added perfectly made stone support pillars with accurately spaced,
combed, oblique stone dressing. Onto this prepared surface, they
plastered cement composed of water-resistant plaster of unmatched
quality. Archeologists feel that this must have taken them hundreds
of years to develop and perfect.

The well made reservoirs that Diodorus says were common in
his day, point to the fact that the Nabataeans must have been
developing this skill during earlier years, perhaps back to the
time of the Babylonians, or even the Assyrians. Perhaps they learned
some of their skill from the people of southern Arabia, who were
creating basic waterworks during the Iron Age.

Herodotus, when writing about the Nabataeans tells us, that
he believed they could find water anywhere in the desert. He mentions
that Cambyses used an Arab to bring him water in the desert as
he moved his army against Egypt. The Nabataeans refused to tell
the army where water came from, but they showed up at regular
intervals in the desert, with their camels loaded with water skins,
enabling the army to pass across the desert into Egypt. The Nabataeans
made up a story by explaining that there was a wonderful river
in the desert and that they used a water duct made of sewn ox-hides
to transport the water over many miles. Herodotus thought that
the story was not very credible. (History III.5, 7-9) What probably
happened was that the Nabataeans, in exchange for financial return,
simply supplied the army with water from their secret cisterns
that were scattered along the caravan route; which would most
likely be the route that the army took. By telling stories, however,
they could keep their water sources secret and at the same time,
profit handsomely, a typical Nabataean trait.

Today these water collection systems still dot the desert but
there are still more that have yet to be discovered. Many of these
are still in use, proving the quality of the ancient Nabataean
water-proof cement. These cisterns provided
Nabataean camel caravans a way to pass
through the desert without needing to use the water wells that
were controled by the local tribes. This gave the Nabataeans a
distinct edge in the frankinsence trade as they could pass through
desolate desert areas where others would die of thirst. This provided
them with a means of protection, as their caravans could pass
undetected through the desert. It also provided the Nabateans
with places of refuge where they could escape to in times of war
and oppression.

Nabataea.Net has organized several excusions into the Hishma
desert to discover and map some of these water collection systems.
The pictures below were taken from a lone mountain in the desert,
where the Nabataeans harvested water. This location was probably
used as a caravan stopping station before the city of Humeima
was built. At one location the buildup of centuries old camel
dung is over a meter high. This mountain is located at: N 29 52.970,
E 035 21.366. It is accessable only by a 4 wheel drive.

Left: The kind of mountains that the Nabatataeans
used to collect water.

The north dam, seen from below. The small-stone structure
above was probably added in the last 100 years to shade the water
from the intense sun. The local bedouin have cleaned out the
cistern and this dirt is piled against the large rocks of the
Nabataean dam.

The original resevour was covered.
Along the edge of the resevour are the notches where the arches
fit into the side walls. This stone roof probably colapsed during
an earthquake, and was later dug out when bedouin tribes entered
the area.

A small lookout tower was located at the very highest
point on the mountain. While it was almost invisible to passers-by,
a lookout could see for miles across the desert.

A cut water channel brought water from the top of
the mountain.

One of our younger explorers stands at the top of
the mountain where the lookout tower was located.

The Nabataeans ran a small ledge all around
the top of the mountain in order to funnel the water into the
cistern. This small ledge was not visable to those passing by,
unless they actually climbed the mountain and traced the stones
back to the cistern.

On the west side of the mountain a modern cement dam
has been built over the old Nabataean stone dam.

The area is littered with old pottery and even some
old shells as these young collectors have found.

On the rocks across from the dam is another cistern.
This one is flush with the surface, and collected the water that
ran off of the western extension of the mountain. This cistern
would have been invisible to anyone passing by, and is only visible
from a hundred feet or so away.

A cut water channel collected the runoff and directed
it into the cistern.

This dam, hidden back in a crevice held a large amount of
water. The water tank was originally covered, although it has
colapsed today. Nabataean inscriptions can be found on the walls
near this spot.

Many of the old cisterns around Nabataea
are still in use today. A rock or piece of tin is usually used
to cover the top, while a space is left around the side for spring
run off to enter the cistern. This water is then used later when
the rains have ceased.

Above: A water resevour behind the city of Humeima
half full of settlement. Note the notches in the wall where the
ancient roof arches fit.

More pictures of Nabataean watern cisterns can be found
on the page about Humeima.

Still more pictures, this time from Um AlJamal in the
north of Jordan can be seen on this page.